Assessing Fall Risk and Reducing Falls in the Elderly More than one in four American adults 65 years of age and older have reported falling and one in five sustain a severe fall-related injury, including fractures and traumatic brain injuries (CDC, 2024). Falls are the leading cause of injury...

Assessment and Management of Stroke In the United States, stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and the leading cause of disability (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2023). Early identification, evaluation and treatment of stroke reduces motor and cognitive...

Cranial Nerves There are 12 pairs of cranial nerves, which are assigned Roman numerals I through XII. Most of the cranial nerves are named for their function, such as the optic nerve, which is responsible for transmitting visual information. The cranial nerves...

Fundoscopic Exam A fundoscopy, also known as ophthalmoscopic, retinal, or funduscopic exam, is a test used to screen for eye disorders, injuries, and diseases. It can be one of the more challenging procedures performed during both routine physical examinations and...

HEENT Assessment Most physical assessments begin at the top with the head, eyes, ears, nose, and throat (HEENT) assessment. The patient is typically positioned sitting upright, allowing the examiner to systemically work down through each body system...

Increased Intracranial Pressure (ICP) The cranium is a rigid bony structure that contains three main components: brain tissue, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and blood. Increased intracranial pressure (ICP) occurs when there is an increase in the volume of one or more components which...

Joint Pain Assessment and Management Joint pain can stem from various causes, including injury, arthritis, infections, and other medical conditions (see chart below). Some causes are self-limiting, while others can be highly disabling and even life-threatening. Diagnosing and...

Mental Health Assessment Mental health assessment is a critical component in the neurologic assessment and changes may have pathologic or pharmacologic causes. While the sequence of certain parts of this assessment is important, we must also be flexible in structuring...

Neurologic Assessment The neurologic assessment can help to localize neurologic diseases and differentiate between urgent and chronic conditions. It can be challenging to perform a comprehensive neurologic exam especially in infants/young children and in patients with...

Neurovascular Assessment Neurovascular assessment is performed when there is a suspicion of compromised blood flow or nerve damage, to detect early signs and symptoms of acute ischemia or compartment syndrome. Examples of injuries or procedures that place patients at risk...

Pain Assessment All nurses have the ethical responsibility to assess and relieve pain utilizing individualized interventions and plan of care, free of personal biases (ANA, 2018). To assess pain adequately and accurately, a multidisciplinary, measurement-based...

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) The American Psychiatric Association (2022) describes posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a “psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, series of events or set of circumstances. An...